Printer Friendly Page 

Conquest Typhoon vanquishes Cecil B. DeMille rivals

Conquest Typhoon stormed home in the DeMille (Benoit Photos) Conquest Typhoon helped to round out trainer Mark Casse's excellent Del Mar stand with a rallying victory in Sunday's closing day co-feature, the Grade 3, $150,750 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes. "It has been just a dream meet (three stakes in three days). I love this place," Casse smiled. Jockey Mike Smith settled the Stormy Atlantic colt into last as St. Joe Bay set a pressured pace of :23, :48 2/5 and 1:13 1/5. Stormy Liberal drafted just off the leader's flank throughout and ranged up to run in tandem rounding the final turn. St. Joe Bay faded upon entering the stretch, leaving Stormy Liberal in command. He didn't hold the advantage for long, though, as Conquest Typhoon came powering down the center of the track after circling the turn three wide. Under encouragement from Smith, the bay juvenile was a half-length clear on the wire while stopping the clock in 1:36 4/5 for a mile on the firm turf. "(Trainer Mark Casse) thought this horse was going to be a little lazy today, so he told me to warm him up pretty good," Smith said. "I got him behind the gate and got him on his toes.

"He usually shows speed but he didn't come out of there so well. Sometimes, though, those things work out for the best. The way the race came up, it was best that we were where we were. At the half-mile pole I was in contention, so that was fine. Then I got him out and he made that run. The way he was going, I thought we were going to win it easy. But the horse inside (Stormy Lieberal) was game and made us work for it."

Conquest Typhoon gave back $4 for the win as the even-money favorite. Bred by Josham Farms Limited in Ontario, the colt has now earned back his $330,000 purchase price paid by owner Conquest Stables at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The DeMille, formerly known as the Generous Stakes, boosted his bankroll to $352,065 and his line reads 2-3-0 from six career starts.

That second win on his resume came when Conquest Typhoon broke his maiden in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in mid-September. He finished second in the Clarendon Stakes in his racing debut on the Polytrack and just missed by a neck in a maiden turf contest prior to the Summer. The colt followed his first score with a second in the Grade 3 Gray, back on Woodbine's synthetic main track, before shipping south of the border for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last out on October 31 at Santa Anita Park, where he wound up fourth.

"The last eighth of a mile went in :11 and 4 or so and I don't know how far back he was, but he zoomed home," Casse noted. "I was not sure I wanted to run him because I thought maybe the Breeders' Cup had knocked him out a little bit. We'll give him a little break and for now he'll stay in California.:

Conquest Typhoon is out of the Ascot Knight mare Swanky Bubbles, making him a half-brother to multiple stakes-placed Bubbles to the Top. His female family also includes multiple Grade 1-scoring sire Schossberg.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com

More Graded Recaps:

Bradester takes flight in Salvator Mile

Dogwood Trail leads to Azalea winner's circle

Grand Bili captures Carry Back

Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

Merry Meadow crowned in Princess Rooney

Send this article to a friend